The Ministry of Defence has today announced that Tony Douglas,
CEO of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), will stand down
from the role at the end of this year.
After more than two years in post, he will return to the private
sector having led DE&S through the delivery of significant
project milestones, including the launch of Queen Elizabeth
Aircraft Carrier and the negotiations for the procurement of Type
26 and 31e frigates.
Since joining in September 2015, he has also driven a far
reaching, major programme of organisational transformation which
is making a real difference to the delivery of equipment and
support to the UK Armed Forces.
Defence Secretary Sir said:
I am personally very grateful for the help and support Tony has
provided to me personally and been very impressed by the
significant progress he has achieved in his time with the MOD, we
will be sorry to lose him.
He is responding to an unexpected opportunity in the private
sector which he has decided to pursue and I would not want to
stand in his way from taking on that fresh challenge.
I am confident that the momentum he has generated will be
maintained by his executive team and, in due course, his
successor ensuring that DE&S continues to deliver using the
foundations he has put into place.
Tony Douglas said:
It has been a very difficult decision for me to make. I will
leave DE&S at the end of 2017 but I will do so having
thoroughly enjoyed our time together. We have made very real
progress on project delivery and transformation and we should be
individually and collectively proud of what we have done.
In part, my decision to leave DE&S has been made easier by
the knowledge that it will remain in capable hands. I have
decided to leave because I have been offered a compelling
opportunity to lead a large and complex organisation in the
private sector and in an industry, unconnected with defence,
which I know well.
Minister for Defence Procurement, said:
I have very much enjoyed working with Tony Douglas; we have made
considerable progress together on the delivery of individual
projects and on organisational change. The foundation he has laid
allows that good work to continue and I wish him every success in
his new role.
DE&S Chairman, Paul Skinner said:
Tony has been an inspiring leader of DE&S, he has brought
real innovation to its commercial approach and the way we do
business. We are determined to build further on his impressive
achievements.
Tony Douglas joined the MOD in September 2015 after being Chief
Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports.
The process to find his successor will begin immediately and an
internal interim leadership will be put into place to manage the
time that will take.
